<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>In awe, the first time you realised it by Persiflage</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25502074">In awe, the first time you realised it</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Persiflage/pseuds/Persiflage'>Persiflage</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Ways You Said 'I Love You' [9]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Holby City</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon Schmanon, Cheerfully Ignoring Any and All Canon as the Lord Intended, Cuddling &amp; Snuggling, F/F, First Kiss, James Fielding (Mentioned), Jason Haynes (Mentioned), Pre-Relationship, Prompt Fic</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 04:34:23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,340</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25502074</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Persiflage/pseuds/Persiflage</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Canon Divergence for Protect and Serve: Bernie is the one injured (not badly) by James Fielding, not Fletch.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Serena Campbell/Bernie Wolfe</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Ways You Said 'I Love You' [9]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1750207</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>56</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>In awe, the first time you realised it</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/sevtacular/gifts">sevtacular</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>From the list of prompts The Ways You Said 'I Love You'. Just a soft bit of romantic fluff and nonsense.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Serena’s snuck away from the ward and up onto the roof – not her usual spot (she prefers the Peace Garden on the whole) – to stare sightlessly over the city as she tries to process the fact that today they’ve had to deal with James Fielding, a man who was dangerously obsessed with Bernie. (Not that she can entirely blame him as there are days when she feels a bit obsessed with the blonde trauma surgeon herself.) He had turned threatening and violent, and if it hadn’t been for Bernie’s training in hand-to-hand combat, Fletch might have ended up stabbed. She wraps her arms around herself and shivers, less from the chilly air up on the rooftop, and more in reaction to her thoughts on what might have happened. </p>
<p>She is startled out of her reverie when a strong pair of arms wrap around her torso.</p>
<p>“Hiding, Fräulein?” Bernie asks, her voice light and teasing.</p>
<p>“Sort of,” Serena admits, leaning back against Bernie’s body. It feels a little strange, being embraced by her stoic macho army medic, but it also feels very comforting.</p>
<p>“Are you okay?” Bernie asks, rubbing her right hand back and forth along Serena’s arm. “Would you prefer to go home? I can manage for the rest of our shift.”</p>
<p>“No. Thank you. If I go home, it’ll be much worse.” She can’t quite hide the tears in her voice and Bernie tightens her arms.</p>
<p>“Shh, shh. It’s okay, Serena. It’s okay. Fielding’s in the Psyche ward now and they’ll look after him. And Fletch will be just fine – he’ll be going home to his kids with Raf at the end of the shift as usual.”</p>
<p>“And you?” Serena can’t help asking.</p>
<p>Bernie gently turns her about, so they’re face to face. “Me? I’m your big macho army medic, remember?” she teases. “Barely a scratch on me.”</p>
<p>“One or two,” Serena says, reaching up to draw the pad of her thumb across the cut on Bernie’s cheek, then dropping her hand to stroke her fingers across the bandage on Bernie’s left arm. She swallows. “I thought I was going to lose you.” </p>
<p>“Takes more than a man with an obsession and a screwdriver to get rid of me, love.” Bernie’s eyes go wide, as if the endearment has slipped out unintentionally. “Sorry, I – uh–”</p>
<p>Serena reaches up to press a finger against the blonde’s lips. “Don’t apologise,” she whispers. “I don’t mind.”</p>
<p>“You don’t?” Bernie asks.</p>
<p>“I like you,” Serena says with an attempt at offhand nonchalance. </p>
<p>Bernie smiles shyly. “I more than like you.”</p>
<p>“Oh really?” Serena’s sure her smile is coy. “I more than like you, too.”</p>
<p>“Serena Campbell, I love you.” Bernie sounds awed, as if she’s only just realised the fact that this is how she feels. </p>
<p>She wraps her arms around the other woman. “I love you too, Berenice Wolfe,” she says and lifts her face for a kiss. Bernie obliges, wrapping her arms back around Serena and pulling her closer. </p>
<p>“I thought you were a dyed-in-the-wool heterosexual,” Bernie says some time and several kisses later.</p>
<p>Serena arches an eyebrow. “Bisexual, actually, Major.”</p>
<p>Bernie chuckles. “Duly noted, Fräulein.”</p>
<p>They kiss again and might have remained there, kissing, and exploring each other’s mouths with their tongues, had their pagers not gone off almost simultaneously.</p>
<p>“Damn,” Serena says with a soft sigh. </p>
<p>They unwrap themselves, then Bernie drops a quick peck to Serena’s lips. “Dinner?” she suggests, leading the way across the roof to the stairs.</p>
<p>“My place,” Serena says. “It’s fish and chip night.”</p>
<p>Bernie raises her eyebrows. “Will Jason be alright if you bring me home?”</p>
<p>“I’ll text him to let him know,” Serena says, feeling a bit emotional that Bernie would think to ask – Robbie had never bothered to take Jason’s schedule into account. “Besides, he likes you. I’m sure he’ll be delighted to have you join us.”</p>
<p>“Then if he’s happy with it, I’ll gladly come.”</p>
<p>“Good.”</p>
<p>They make their way down to AAU, to find Hanssen waiting for them. He ushers them into their office, then tells them that James Fielding is being transferred to a secure mental health facility. He explains that he’s sent Fletch home early, then urges them both to leave early also. </p>
<p>“I will look after the ward in your absence,” he says. </p>
<p>“Honestly, Mr Hanssen–” Bernie begins, but Serena clasps her arm. </p>
<p>“Thank you, Henrik. We’ll go.”</p>
<p>Hanssen looks from Serena’s hand on Bernie’s arm, to each of their faces in turns, then smiles – an actual, honest-to-God smile such as anyone rarely sees on the enigmatic Swede’s face.</p>
<p>“Good. I’ll tell Mr Merrick that he can let Jason leave early, too,” Hanssen says, and moves out of their office and across to the nurses’ station.</p>
<p>“Did he – did he actually just smile?” Bernie asks, sounding awed.</p>
<p>Serena chuckles. “He did. I’m taking that as a sign that he tacitly approves us getting together.”</p>
<p>Bernie shakes her head then sets about shutting down her computer and Serena who’s in the middle of doing the same, asks, “Are you wearing your scrubs home?” </p>
<p>She looks down at herself. “Huh. Forgot I was wearing these. I’ll be back in two shakes.”</p>
<p>Serena shakes her head in mild disbelief. She’ll never understand how anyone could forget they’re wearing scrubs, giving how uncomfortable she finds them. </p>
<p>She remembers that she was going to check with Jason that he’s happy for Bernie to come and have dinner with them and sends him a quick text. As Bernie comes back into the office her phone pings to let her know she has a text and she smiles when she sees the response from Jason.</p>
<p>“I think we can safely assume Jason is happy for you to join us for fish and chips,” she says, showing Bernie the screen, who chuckles when she sees he’s sent a string of thumbs up emoji. “Come on, Major, let’s get going.”</p>
<p>Bernie smiles and it occurs to Serena that she’s never seen that particular smile on her co-lead’s face before – even her eyes are smiling. “I’m all yours,” she says.</p>
<p>Serena smirks. “I’ll hold you to that,” she says and saunters past the blonde, hips swaying enticingly.</p>
<p>She hears a sort of choking noise behind her, then Bernie’s at her side and reaching for the button to summon the lift.</p>
<p>“My gallant Major,” Serena murmurs as the lift arrives and they step inside.</p>
<p>“If I’m gallant, you’re a tease,” Bernie mutters.</p>
<p>“Me?” Serena says, pretending to be horrified at the accusation.</p>
<p>“Oh, you know you are, Campbell.”</p>
<p>Bernie’s voice has gone low, sounding warm and intimate, and Serena feels a sudden surge of desire in response. </p>
<p>Fortunately, the lift doors open and Jason is waiting for them, eager to bombard Bernie with questions as they head out of the Wyvern Wing and across the car park, which gives Serena a few moments to recover.</p>
<p>Jason says it’s too early for dinner, so they agree to head back to Serena’s, Bernie offering to fetch their fish and chips nearer the time that they would normally eat. </p>
<p>Serena briefly considers suggesting that Bernie leaves her car here, but worries that it would be premature, so they split up and she tells herself not to jump the gun – she doesn’t know if either one of them is ready to sleep together yet. But she wants to. In fact, if she’s being honest with herself, Serena wants Bernie Wolfe in her bed every night, and in her life for as long as they’ve both got left. She’s never wanted to share her life with someone else to quite the same extent before, not even when she and Robbie were thinking of moving in together. </p>
<p>She thinks it should scare her, and she worries it will scare Bernie, that she wants the blonde so much, but she reckons she’s old enough to know what, or rather who, she wants, and who she wants more than anyone else is Berenice Griselda Wolfe. She just has to hope that Bernie feels the same.</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>